- Remarkable model

- Very well-preserved original condition

- Very rare MSDS version

- No reserve

In choosing a greyhound for his logo, Giovanni Parrilla (with two ‘r’s) surely imagined producing the same kind of motorbikes: quick, light and slender. After a 250 and a 350 which were successful in racing, in 1952 he presented a 175cc bike which stood out on account of the special design of its valve train, with a camshaft mounted very high up operating very short pushrods to control the overhead valves. The crankshaft ran on roller bearings and the engine was combined with the four-speed gearbox in a very compact assembly. The potential of this engine was demonstrated with the very sporty MSDS version (for ‘Motocicli Sport Derivati Dalla Serie’) producing 15bhp, like the model we are offering for sale.

After its first owner from Milan, Flavio Bernazoni, this Parilla 175 had five others before it was bought by Umberto Panini in 1994. It is a superb machine, with racy styling and in magnificently preserved original condition. The saddle is covered in suede, as in period, and the look of the fuel tank recalls that of Norton, a make which Giovanni Parrilla greatly admired. It represents a very rare opportunity to acquire an absolutely authentic example of one of the most outstanding small Italian bikes from the early 1960s.

Photos © G. Rizotto